Everything Has Changed
by ijs.forever13
Summary: Four years later, Elena returns home from college; and everything has changed. *Disclaimer: Everyone is human and doesn't follow the show. Completely AU.
1. Home

The young brunette exited the terminal of the airport in Richmond Virginia. With a suitcase in one hand and a carry-on slung over her shoulder, the woman heads out to the pick-up area of the airport. Elena Gilbert has finally returned home from college. A 22-year-old whose life has been turned upside down since the passing of her parents when she was 16. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert had adopted Elena as their own after she was given up by her birth parents (John Gilbert and Isobel Flemming), whom she's never met. She had been told of her adoption by her aunt, Jenna Sommers, who had taken in both Elena and Elena's younger brother, Jeremy. Before Elena had left for college, Jenna was to be married to Alaric Saltzman, a high school teacher at Mystic Falls High. The same high school where Elena and her friends had gone. Though after an unfortunate accident, Alaric didn't survive. Elena had seem him as a father-substitute, not just for her, for Jeremy. Since then, Jeremy had been acting much differently and becoming distant. As for Elena, she had decided to go away to New York, attending NYU.

Before her arrival in Richmond, Elena called her oldest and dear friend, Matt Donovan to pick her up. The two friends have known each other since they were practically in diapers and shared a crib together. Matt was one of the few people who knew Elena before the loss of her parents. It was a 3-hour long drive from Mystic Falls. She had called ahead of time and didn't wait long, seeing Matt's pick-up arrive at the airport. She smiled upon seeing her friend step out of the truck. "Elena! Hey!" Matt smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Elena returned the warm embrace. Matt Donovan, known for his baby blues, had never been more happy to see his friend. He always had a crush on Elena for as long as they have been friends. "Matt! I missed you." said Elena.

"I missed you too. How was New York?" Elena was unsure of where to begin. Her four year stay in New York was quiet eventful and thought about discussing her college experience away from home and would be a good start. Yet, she knew Matt better than most. "Hectic. Though, enjoyable." Even if it was a short description, Elena thought it was the best she could give without having him press for more questions. She wasn't exactly ready to go into full detail with Matt about college. She pulled away from the hug when Matt suggested for the two of them to go out for dinner. Elena agreed and added that she would need to shower first as soon as they get home. They get into his truck together and they make the 3-hour drive back to Mystic Falls. "How was your flight?" Matt glances over at her during the drive.

"It wasn't half-bad. I'm glad to be home." Elena told him.

"I'm glad you are home."

After the 3-hour drive, the two friends arrived in good old Mystic Falls. It was a small town, not really recognizable on a map. The town's locals were friendly towards some of its visitors. There was nothing bad that had ever happened. The town itself was full of rich history that would often be taught in school. Elena had never been more than happy to finally be home after four years. She truly missed the life of living in a small town after having been in New York for college. She would only come by during the breaks when she could. Even then, the short visits weren't enough to see her friends and family. Elena and Matt arrived at her apartment, which she shared with her best friend, Caroline Forbes. Upon her arrival, Caroline wasn't anywhere to be found; and Elena had only assumed that her friend had gone out for the night. Elena unloads her suitcase in her room and goes to take her shower. After her shower, she gets dressed and fixes her hair when a knock sounds at the apartment door. Elena wasn't sure of anyone who knew her arrival date, only because she hadn't told anyone but Jenna. "Who else knows about my arrival?" She came out of her room.

Matt had been waiting in the living room and shrugged. "I haven't called anyone." Elena definitely wasn't expecting any guests anytime soon, unless Caroline had been the one to invite them over without Elena knowing. She heads over to the door anyway to answer it. "Stefan?" Stefan Salvatore, formerly a football player in high school, was Elena's ex-boyfriend before she had gone off to college. She was more than surprised to see him. Stefan was quiet, and yet he was good at football. Elena had fallen for him because he was far different from the other boys she had dealt with. They met when she was still on the cheerleading team, and it seemed like love at first sight. "I figured you be home today. You're dressed to go somewhere this evening." How observant. Elena thought sourly. While though they remained friends, their breakup wasn't as smooth as it was hoped it'd be.

"Yeah, Matt and I are going out for dinner. It's nothing special." Matt had formerly been on the football team with Stefan. Though they had never been all that close because of the way Matt felt about Elena and how she had fallen for Stefan instead. Elena had only seen Matt like a brother (almost). "Right. I should go then."

"Actually, you two should catch up. We'll have dinner another time."

"No, wait… Matt."

"See you Elena." Matt rushed out of the apartment before Elena could try and attempt to stop him. Elena was now annoyed with the presence of Stefan. And yet, she had once found complete comfort in him, even after the breakup. Maybe he understood her like no one else did. He saw her for who she really is, even during the time of her parents' death. Stefan had always been there for her. He was someone she could lean on and trust. "Hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

"There was nothing going on between him and I. You know that." Stefan wanted to believe that statement. He had seen how close Matt and Elena were, as well as knowing that Matt still had a crush on Elena. Though he felt that Matt should just stop trying to pursue Elena, only knowing that Elena wanted more than just the small town life. "I missed you."

Elena sighed, "I missed you too."

"What's wrong?" With this, Stefan had hoped to get an answer. He had hoped that she would finally open up to talk to him. He could sense that something was bothering her and was unsure of what that was. Even after having been broken up, Stefan still managed to care about Elena. However, Elena completely evaded answering the question. "So, how about dinner?"


	2. Past: Meet Mr Salvatore

New York City. The first time Elena has ever been away from home. She still continues to maintain contact with both Jenna and Jeremy. Her brother has been able to stay out of trouble, especially with Alaric around as a father-figure until his passing before she left for college. Most of her friends had decided to go to Whitmore college. Entering her first class at NYU, she picked a seat that was near the center of the room. New York was much larger in both population size and city. She had just replied to Jenna until their professor entered the room. Elena had stared in awe at the attractive man who stood before them with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. There was something familiar about him, about how he presented himself as if not from New York.

Apart from the blue eyes, their professor had sported a pair of dark jeans, black boots, and navy blue cashmere top paired with a white long-sleeved buttoned up dress shirt. Both tops were rolled half-way up his forearms. The man introduced himself to the class as Mr. Salvatore. "You may not refer to me by my first name while though it's indicated on the syllabus." Then he started on discussing the details of the syllabus and moved on to the first lecture. Elena had sworn she had seen him somewhere or that his name had sounded familiar to her. She wondered if there was any relation between him and Stefan. She couldn't remember if Stefan had mentioned he had any siblings. Did she even ask? She felt herself beginning to stare at him and had only noticed that he had caught her. The second she turned away, she found herself blushing indefinitely.

As soon as class had ended, the students were dismissed. Elena had lagged behind the rest of the class, only because she had something to ask him. She had to wait until everyone had left the room. "Prof… Mr… Uhm…" Elena suddenly found herself stumbling over her words. His presence alone was near intimidating, especially in a classroom setting. Damon Salvatore, only aged 32, stood before the young woman. Throughout the lecture, he often caught her staring at him and was unsure of why. Now that he saw her more clearly, a sudden thought had crossed his mind that this woman was beautiful. "Call me Damon, and you are?" He raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. Almost immediately Damon had seen her cheeks blush a bright pink. He knew he had done something right today.

"Elena Gilbert." Elena replied.

"Right, Elena. What can I do for you? Do you have any questions about the class or are you confused about the syllabus?"

"No, I don't have any questions about anything school related." Elena wasn't sure how to properly ask her question to Damon. Well, it was sort of school related. Damon stayed silent in order for Elena to continue. From the way he had spoken to the way he presented himself to the class, Elena was sure that he was not from New York, at least not born and raised in this city. "I don't know if you remember me. You went to high school with my mom." However, Elena wasn't referring to Miranda, her adopted mother. She was referring to Isobel, the woman who had given her up for adoption at the age of 16. The same woman whom Elena's never met but only seen in pictures. She wasn't sure if Damon had known of the mother she was talking about. "Isobel?" She had given the name, seeing his confused reaction.

"You're Isobel's daughter? She told me she had given up her baby for adoption. I didn't know the baby's you." It must've been a relief for Elena to hear that someone knew her birth mother. "We lost contact after high school and separated ways well into college. Have you at least tried to get in contact with her?"

"No. My aunt has been taking care of my brother and I. Her fiancé knew Isobel because they went to college together. I think you might've known my dad too, John?" Elena saw that the name had seemed to ring a bell. Though, there wasn't much conversation happening there. Damon nodded slightly before saying that he has a class to teach in one hour. "Do… Would you like to have lunch with me? Or would that be inappropriate?" Elena couldn't refuse. She had found herself being drawn to Damon in ways that she couldn't explain, as if they were meant to find each other. She shook her head and agreed to have lunch with him.


	3. The Brother Returns

"You're sure you and Matt aren't…?" started Stefan. Elena and Stefan were sitting at a table in Mystic Grill. They were just having dinner as old friends who've previously dated and have broken up sometime before Elena's college departure. Elena shook her head, only reassuring Stefan that she and Matt were only friends. "We may have grown up together as kids. He's kind of like a brother to me."

He slowly nodded, "He seems to like you a lot."

"I don't believe it."

"Elena, I've seen the look before."

Elena rolled her eyes. She didn't want to continue this conversation any further, only hoping that they weren't out for dinner to talk about their breakup. "Tell me that there's a more plausible reason you agreed to have dinner."

"Well, I didn't show up at your apartment asking for you to take me back." There was a silent pause. "My brother's visiting for a couple days. He's from New York. He lived here when we were kids until moving to New York for college." Stefan had never mentioned his brother once to Elena, or had she even forgotten to ask if he had any siblings. Elena was suddenly surprised, yet intrigued by this news.

"What's your brother's name?"

"Damon."

Elena hadn't bothered to put 2 and 2 together. Why hadn't it occurred to her before that Stefan and Damon were related, in the means of being brothers? She thought that the two of them having the same last names were just a mere coincidence. Could it be that it was just her luck? Though it would make sense for Damon to be from Mystic Falls, considering how much time they had spent together while she was in New York for college. How did both brothers get away without mentioning the other? Were there any other relatives she didn't know about? Or was it just the two of them? She had gone home after her dinner with Stefan without being questioned by Caroline. She could say that she was a bit relieved that Caroline hadn't decided to butt in on her personal life.

The next day, Bonnie had come over. Bonnie Bennett is another friend of Elena and Caroline. The girls have grown up together since they were kids and only parted ways when Elena had left for college. "Stefan's brother is coming to visit." said Elena. The two friends were quietly having coffee at the apartment. Caroline was out running errands, demanding that she be filled in on the details of their conversation. The three of them have always been inseparable since childhood. "And that's a bad thing, how?" asked Bonnie. Between two of them, Bonnie was a bit more reserved. Though now, she's been a little distant since Sheila Bennett, her Grams, had passed away. Yet, that didn't stop Elena and Caroline from including Bonnie into their every day conversation, especially now that Jeremy and Bonnie had eventually revealed to Elena that they were dating. Elena had more than accepted their relationship, only because she felt that Bonnie was good for Jeremy (especially after everything he has gone through).

"Stefan had never mentioned that he has a brother."

"Wait, Stefan kept a secret from you until… last night? So, the whole time you two dated, you haven't been introduced to his family? Why's that?"

"Well, I know that Damon had moved to New York for college; and considering the age difference, it would make sense that they're… estranged." Elena wasn't one to openly discuss her previous relationships with her friends, only because she knew how the two of them would react. Elena was unsure about how the meeting would happen between the three of them (Stefan, Damon, and herself). Bonnie nodded and was about to speak up when a knock sounded at the door. Elena stands to answer the door. She was more surprised at seeing Damon rather than Stefan. "Elena, this is Damon." Damon hesitated for a moment before reaching his hand towards Elena's direction. He didn't want his brother to be suspicious that he and Elena have already met. Since their last meeting, Damon had hardly spoke of his relationships to anyone, most especially his brother. The two often had disagreements with each other, and it had always seemed unlikely for the two brothers to get along. It was best to keep their previous history a secret, for the time being.

"Nice to meet you Elena."

Elena returns the hand shake and smiles, "And same to you Damon."

"Would like to join us for lunch?" Before Elena could say anything, Bonnie had interrupted to say that she was heading out because she had forgotten to buy something at the store that she needed. Elena insisted that Bonnie should join them, only because she feared of being solo with the Salvatore brothers. "But…"

"Please Bonnie?"

"I'll go with you, but you owe me."

Elena smiled, "Perfect. We'll follow."

The girls had arrived at Mystic Grill before the brothers did. They were led to a table. They sat down. "I don't understand why I had to come." said Bonnie. Elena reassured her friend by saying that she needed moral support. She didn't want to be in the same room as her ex and his brother. "You know something I don't." Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her friend. She was skeptical about the way Elena was currently acting. She had never seen her friend act like this before. Elena looked at her friend confused. Before opening her mouth to say a word, Stefan and Damon entered the restaurant. They saw the girls at the table and walked over to join them. "How'd you beat us?" asked Stefan.

"Bonnie drove. I'm not used to driving in Mystic Falls. I've been away for too long." replied Elena. The brothers had sat down. Everyone had ordered their food and drinks. Elena had to refrain from directly staring into Damon's eyes. She could feel her heart pound against her chest. She had never felt like this before. "Where did you go?" asked Damon.

"New York."

"She went to college there." Bonnie spoke.

"What University?" Damon was intrigued, only because he hadn't seen Elena since she had flown back to Mystic Falls. Stefan chimed in by saying that Damon's a professor at NYU. Elena had to act as if she were showing interest in Damon. She didn't want to give any suspicion that she had formerly met Damon while at college. "Oh? NYU? Well, I would've run into your brother. Though, I don't think we ever had a class together." It was a complete lie; and Damon knew it.


	4. Secret's Out

Elena could only reminisce about her college days, most of which she had spent writing or reading. She often kept to herself while on campus, away from the peering eyes of other students. She remembered while sitting out on the Quad (short for Quadrangle) reading _Jane Eyre_ when Damon had emerged from one of the nearby buildings after his lecture.

 _Damon saw the young brunette and approached her direction. "Jane Eyre? What a read." said he. Elena was started at hearing the sound of his voice, gazing up towards his direction. As soon as her eyes met his, Damon flashed a quick grin. "Did I startle you? My apologies. Are you reading this for a class?"_

 _"No, for pleasure. How did you—"_

 _"I saw you when I exited the building across the way, and I figured you needed some company."_

 _Elena stands up, briefly saying that she had to her next class. Damon had to refrain himself from asking to walk with her to class. The fact that the two of them seen together as more than teacher and student was against school policy. "I'll see you in class tomorrow Miss Gilbert." Elena blushes at his statement, agreeing to see him. "Please, call me Damon."_

As Elena was laying in bed that morning, she could only think about the conversation at the restaurant the night before. She had pulled Bonnie into a situation with her, except no one better than Bonnie herself. It had only been at least a month or so since she had last laid eyes on Damon. She couldn't fall for them again, except she couldn't stop thinking about his piercing baby blues and his charming smile. Her heart began to flutter against her chest, only remembering how he had made her feel before everything had started to fall apart. There was not one person she had met in her life that made her feel the way Damon did, and to only act as if she hadn't known him, hurt her just a bit.

 _"How did you enjoy your time at NYU?" Damon hadn't seen Elena since their split. He could say that he felt guilty for everything that has happened between them. Elena explained how she enjoyed her time there, and it was one hell of an experience. Stefan joined in on the conversation and asked his brother about him meeting a girl that he liked. Elena had never thought that the brothers were still in contact with each other. After all, she had not once asked Stefan if he had any siblings. It slipped her mind. "Oh yeah, it… it didn't work out." Damon sounded heartbroken from where Elena was sitting._

 _"What was the girl like?" asked Bonnie._

 _"Intelligent, beautiful. She has an incredible personality, and her laugh… it's contagious." replied Damon. "But she moved. She said she wasn't feeling like New York couldn't be home, and I understand that she didn't want to stay away from her family for too long."_

 _"Where did she move to?" Elena was listening to the conversation between Bonnie and Damon, keeping silent. She didn't want to chime in on the conversation because she didn't want to allude to helping them figure out she was the girl Damon was talking about. "Let's save the details for another time." Stefan said._

 _"What details?" This is where Elena was curious._

 _"For four years, my brother has talked about this girl all the time. It made me want to meet this girl, and I honestly thought he was going to marry her." Elena was surprised at this. Damon wanted to get married? It wouldn't have made any sense to her then. The two of them were just getting to know each other. Damon added on by saying that he had planned to marry her. He had planned on asking her another question before proposing. "Sounds like she meant a lot to you." Elena heard Bonnie speak up._

 _"I bet she was lucky to have you." said Elena._

That same morning at the Salvatore boarding house, the brothers were in the kitchen discussing the details about dinner. "You never mentioned the name of the girl." Stefan had only been given a vague description about his brother's ex-girlfriend. He had known that his brother was notorious for keeping secrets, especially when it came to romance. Damon shrugged off his brother's statement by telling him that names weren't import. "With me, they are." Stefan pressed on. Damon rolled his eyes and was about to interject when a knock sounded at the door. Stefan walked over, surprised to see Elena at his doorstep.

Elena was expecting to talk with Damon alone, except Stefan was home. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be applying for a job?" When did Stefan start being so nosy? She told him that she had been looking and applied before she moved back to Mystic Falls.

"I start next Monday."

"Oh, congratulations then. You still didn't answer my first question."

"Right, why am I here. May I talk with your brother in private?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't exactly comfortable with having both brothers in one place. She didn't think to call Damon earlier and meet at a designated location. While that would've been an excellent idea, she didn't exactly have Damon's number. "Anything you say to him, you can tell me."

"I don't think that's a good idea little brother." Damon was just as uncomfortable as Elena was. He could easily read her body language.

"Are you two hiding something from me?" Stefan exchanged glances with the two of them. He knew that something was up from the very second he had introduced them to each other. Elena chimed in and said that she would come back another time. Stefan didn't want her to leave without an answer. Elena sighed and wished that there was a better time to tell Stefan the truth. Yet, he was forcing his hand; and she had to come right out and say it. She exchanged glances, first with Damon and then with Stefan. "I… Your brother and I dated when I was in New York. Actually, we lived together."

 _Elena and Damon have been dating for two years. Elena was now a Junior in college and living with Damon in his Manhattan apartment. She was admiring the view he had. "This is better than the view I have from my dorm." She smiled at him. Damon reached out and caressed her cheek after brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm so happy you asked me to move in with you."_

 _"I'm happy you said yes."_

"You two failed to tell me this?" Stefan was more than appalled. He was disappointed, if anything. He knew the two of them well enough to know full well that they were keeping something from him. "It's not his fault. It's mine." said Elena. Damon stepped in, saying that she should be taking responsibility of the blame. He should've been the one to tell his brother the truth. Stefan could not believe they both would work to maintain their relationship from being exposed. He let out a sigh, only asking them one question. "When were you going to tell me, on your wedding day?" Elena couldn't understand why Stefan was getting worked up over this. They had broken up before she had even gone to New York.

"If anyone should be asking questions, it should be Matt." said Elena.

"Matt?" Damon turned his attention towards Elena. He couldn't remember if the two of them had shared any conversations about past exes or flings for the matter. Was there something he didn't know about Matt? Before Elena could answer, Stefan joined in the conversation by telling his brother about Matt being Elena's childhood best friend. "The two of them grew up together."

"Does Matt love you?" Damon couldn't ignore the topic of Matt being brought up, especially by Elena. Elena wasn't sure of how to answer him. She knew Matt had attempted to pursue her a few times in high school, and yet, she had immediately fallen for Stefan. She told them she didn't know. "Don't play stupid Elena. You know it. I know it. He's been pining for you for years. He was jealous when we dated, and I'm certain that he's still jealous now." Elena wasn't sure where all of this was coming from. One possibility could be that Stefan was trying to figure out if there were other secrets Elena was keeping from him. A second could be that Stefan still had some feelings left for Elena. Lastly, Matt could be the reason Elena was acting differently. "I'm not into Matt." said Elena.

"Then, why did you break up with Damon?"

Elena couldn't believe this. Stefan was talking this a bit too far, especially with Damon being the one that she wanted to have a private discussion with. "We're not discussing this Stefan." Damon had finally decided to speak up after allowing his brother to be in the spotlight for a bit.

"C'mon Elena. You broke up with me because you wanted to get out of here and leave. Of all the places you could've gone, it had to be New York. And now I see why you decided to stay just a little longer." Stefan had briefly given his brother a glare. It was a look that rarely the brothers had shared with each other. Elena thought that this was ridiculous. Damon had thought so as well, including the childish way Stefan has been acting. "He was going to marry you, wasn't he? Right after graduation? What happened?" Elena couldn't listen to any more of this. She walked out of the boarding house and walked in the direction of her parked car. Damon had followed after her. She stopped and turned her attention towards him. Between the two brothers, Elena had expected Damon to be the one upset at her, not Stefan. "Did you come out here to yell at me too?"

"No. You left without a word. Why?"

"I don't know."

"You heard what Stefan said. We were supposed to meet after graduation, and you just walked out. Why did you? Was it because of Stefan, or… or that Matt guy?" Elena didn't know how to answer him. She wished that she could turn back time to the day it all happened, except she couldn't. Everything that has been done was in the past, and she couldn't change that. "I have to go Damon." She said before getting in the car and drove away.


	5. Breaking News

_The first semester of college was nearing its end. It was the week before Winter Break, and most of the students on campus had decided to depart early. Despite the sparseness in his classroom, Damon still managed to conclude his last lecture to the class. "I'm deeply saddened that this is our last day together. While though finals are around the corner, I'm glad I've gotten to know all of you this semester. Good luck on your finals, and enjoy your Winter Break." Everyone had gathered their stuff and left the classroom. As usual, Elena was one of the last to leave. She heard her name called out by Damon. She turned towards his direction to hear what he had to say. "Do you have any plans for the break?"_

 _"I'm going home to Mystic Falls to see my family."_

 _Damon nods, "Have a safe trip. I mean, I know there's finals."_

 _"Thanks. I will." she smiled. "Is there—" Damon didn't realize what he was doing until it happened. He had found himself approaching her and press his lips to hers. He had been wanting to kiss her for some time and was unsure of the right moment to do so. He reached up and caressed her soft skin before pulling away. Elena gazed up at him and asked, "What was that for?"_

 _"Just making sure you'd come back to me." Damon's eyes gazed into hers while softly smiling down at her. Elena smiled softly, promising that she will try to go back to New York before break ends._

Damon had retreated back into the Salvatore boarding house after Elena had driven away. "What do you have to talk with her about?" asked Stefan. His arms were crossed over his chest. The door had been left slightly ajar, allowing for him to overhear the exchange of words between his brother and ex. "You heard that?" Damon sighed. "I should've told you about Elena years ago. I didn't know you two had history."

"She doesn't love me anymore."

"Then you should've seen the way she looked at me that day." Stefan was confused by this statement. What more was there about Damon's secret relationship with Elena? Despite knowing that they have met in New York, there was something about the tone in Damon's voice that alluded to something else. Stefan questioned his brother about what 'day' he meant. "The day of her graduation." replied Damon.

Elena had received a text from Caroline to meet she, Matt, Bonnie, and Jeremy at Mystic Grill. It seemed like ages since Elena had seen her brother. The two of them have always been close, despite the news of being adopted. Elena still has yet to get in contact with her birth parents. For the time being, she wasn't exactly interested in wanting to get to know them. Though she knew that she had to muster up some courage to eventually meet them face to face. The right time wasn't now. Caroline was impatient of Elena's late arrival. Elena walked through the entrance of Mystic Grill. "Hey guys. Sorry, I'm late." She sat down at the table with her friends.

"About time." said Caroline.

"I was held up." Elena briefly stated, exchanging quick glances with Bonnie. Matt inquired about where she was by asking if she was at the Salvatore boarding house with Stefan. Caroline had asked if she was getting back together with him. "You know as well as I do why it didn't work out between him and I."

"Because you moved to NYU." stated Bonnie.

"Why did you want us to meet you here Caroline?" Jeremy, out of the group, did not want to be included in hearing about Caroline's big news. Bonnie hypothesized by asking Caroline if she was pregnant. Caroline didn't take Bonnie's sarcasm very well. "I'm not a slut." replied Caroline.

"You said that in high school." teased Matt.

"Shut up. That's not the big news." She spat.

"What's the big news?" Elena wanted to get down to the bottom of this. She was sure that Damon was expecting a call from her later today about where to meet tonight. Caroline showed off her engagement ring by holding out her left hand towards her friends and announced that she was engaged. Elena and Bonnie squealed, congratulating their friend on the engagement. The three girls had stood up and hugged each other. Matt and Jeremy both rolled their eyes after muttering a quick congratulatory greeting to Caroline about the news. Elena was asked to be the Maid of Honor with Bonnie as the bridesmaid. "Who's the lucky guy?" asked Matt.

There was a minute of silence before Caroline had replied. "Damon Salvatore."

 _Her first Winter Break back in Mystic Falls. It was such a relief for Elena to see her family again. She arrived in front of the house, smiling upon her arrival. She paid the cab driver and brought with her the suitcase up to the front door. "Jenna, I'm home!" she called out. Her voice echoed throughout the house after entering. She closed the door behind her, only want to take a warm and relaxing bath before settling into her own bed._

 _"We're in the kitchen!" Jenna called out. Elena wondered where Jeremy had been since she had thought about seeing him upon her return back into town. She figured he must be out with his friends. There hasn't been recent updates about him and Bonnie. Elena kept her suitcase near the foot of the stairs and headed into the kitchen. We? She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What exactly did she mean? Elena entered the kitchen when she locked eyes with—"This is Damon, a friend of Alaric's back during the college days." Damon reached his hand out towards my direction._

 _"Nice to meet you." Elena reached out to shake her hand, repeating similar words back to him. Damon hadn't mentioned knowing Alaric to her, and so, this was the first time she had heard of this news. Jenna asked Elena about her first semester at college. Elena didn't feel like going into too much detail. "Make some new friends?" Jenna turned her attention towards her. Guess she did, in a sense. Elena thought while quickly exchanging glances with Damon before mentioning she needed to head upstairs to shower. She asked Jenna about the Christmas party. Jenna said it will be held at the Lockwood Mansion. Elena was relieved. At least she would be able to see her friends before heading back to New York as soon as the break ends. She exited the room and headed upstairs._

 _The Lockwood Mansion hadn't changed since the last time the Gilberts have visited. Elena remembered her last visit, which was their high school graduation party. It was Christmas Eve. Jenna, Jeremy, Damon, and Elena arrived together. Jenna had obviously brought food (meatloaf) to contribute to the already growing buffet table. Carol, Mayor Richard Lockwood's wife, had graciously answered the door. Though, it seemed like she had seen Damon before. "Damon, what a nice surprise." Her eyes sent a different message than the painted smile._

 _"Maybe I shouldn't have shown up unannounced." Damon let out a light chuckle._

 _"You're always welcome. This town is your home." Carol stepped aside, allowing for the four of them to enter the house. Jenna was led away by Carol to set down the tray of meatloaf. Jeremy said he'd go and find Bonnie. Damon and Elena were left alone. "How did you know Alaric?" Elena turned and faced him._

 _"Let's not talk about this here. You should go and find your friends." Damon suggested before parting ways with her. Since then, they hadn't crossed paths until Elena had gone outside to sit down on one of the patio chairs._

 _"May I sit?" Damon motioned towards the empty chair to my left. Elena nodded as he took his seat. Seeing him dressed the way he is, it was different than how he was typically dressed at the college. Elena had always thought of him as attractive, regardless of how he had chosen to dress. "I was at his funeral. I've known Alaric when he and… Isobel were in college."_

 _"I wasn't aware you guys were close." Damon had begun to explain to Elena that he met Alaric through Isobel. He and Alaric were constantly going out for drinks, firstly as acquaintances until quickly becoming friends. Then a couple of years later, Alaric moved to Mystic Falls. Elena remembered when he moved here. It was during Elena's Junior year at Mystic Falls High School. Alaric hadn't discussed with her about his past, especially the details on Isobel. "Jenna must've gotten my contact number and sent me an invitation to attend the funeral. Isobel was there." said he._

 _"Isobel attended the funeral?"_

 _"Your mom didn't want to meet you just yet. She said that there will be a time for you two to meet. However, not right now." Elena nodded, listening to him. As much as she wanted to say otherwise, Elena and Isobel meeting when the time is right would be the best option. She smiled softly before leaning in and pressing a light kiss on his lips._


	6. Where Do I Go From Here?

Back in the Salvatore Boarding house, a knock sounded at the door. Stefan was reading a book. Damon was just pouring himself a glass of bourbon. Stefan had set down the book and walked over to answer the door. "Elena?" He was more than surprised to see her. Elena had asked to speak with him alone.

"Do you want to come in?" Stefan stepped aside, except Elena shook her head. She wanted to go outside to talk with him. She didn't want Damon to overhear their conversation. Stefan nodded and heads outside, closing the door behind him. "Caroline's engaged." Elena broke the news to Stefan. She could tell that he was unfazed by the statement. "Caroline's engaged… to your brother."

"What?"

"Yeah, I drove here as fast as I could to tell you. Also, there's something I have to say. I'm assuming that Damon has talked with you about us."

Stefan nodded, "Yeah, graduation. What happened?" Elena didn't exactly know how to begin. Many eventful things have happened surrounding graduation. She suggested they find a place to sit down. Instead, Stefan suggested walking, which Elena didn't mind. "Damon and I have been dating for two years by then and…"

 _Senior year and Elena was finally graduating. Damon had planned for something special that evening. Both were at his apartment waiting to leave. While Elena was waiting for Damon to finish his shower, his phone rang. Elena knew not to answer it. She stood up for from the couch and walked over to the counter where his phone lay. Damon had received a text from an unknown number. "Cant wait to see you in two weeks! xo C." Who is C? AS she finished reading the text, Damon had just finished his shower. He walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Just give me fifteen—"_

 _"Who's C?" Elena held up his phone to show proof of the text. Damon simply said that it wasn't anyone important before taking the phone from her. "It's someone Damon." Elena didn't want to argue with him. "How long have you been talking with them?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest, clearly upset. Damon hesitated a minute before giving his answer._

 _"During the time when we had first started talking until you became my girlfriend. Then we stopped and only started talking again just four months ago." Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Damon had been keeping this hidden from her the length of their relationship since the day they met. She had thought that there wouldn't be anymore secrets between them. She was disappointed. "Damon, I don't think we can work when we're continuously keeping secrets from each other. I'm planning on moving back to Mystic Falls. I sent out applications for jobs there and have been called in for an interview when I get home. If you respect me as a person and how the third party is detrimental to our relationship, then feel free to contact me."_

Elena finished her story. She felt a bit better that she was able to tell someone about the details of her previous relationship. "Caroline's the reason you two broke up? I didn't know." Stefan could never understand his brother, especially after reuniting from their estrangement. "She's engaged to him, and I'm not sure he's told her about us Stefan." The two of them had stopped walking. They were a good distance away from the Boarding house.

"You still love him Elena. I know that look."

"I don't want to be responsible for taking his happiness away from him. What about Matt? And you, especially. You and Caroline are friends."

"We're not discussing me. Maybe try working things out with Matt. You and I have dated. It didn't exactly play out the way we wanted. We were wanting different things in life and what we want in a relationship." Elena knew Stefan had meant everything he was discussing with her. She hadn't imagined being in a relationship with Matt. She hadn't thought of giving him a chance. It didn't feel right to her for the two of them to be in a relationship. The two of them began the long walk back to the Salvatore Boarding house before parting ways.

Over the next few days, Elena and Stefan have been hanging out with each other. With juggling work into the mix of Caroline and Damon's engagement, Elena was relieved for having Stefan around. It was finally the weekend. Stefan had come over to Elena's apartment to discuss the engagement of Caroline and Damon. "Have you talked with Caroline about Damon?" Elena shook her head. "Do you think Damon's happy with her?"

"I'm not sure. I should have told you sooner instead of waiting."

"It's okay. What are you going to do now? Let them get married?" Elena felt that it should be Damon's responsibility to discuss with Caroline about his previous relationship with her. Just as Stefan had finished his question, Caroline entered the apartment with Damon. She wasn't expecting Elena to be home, let alone home with Stefan. "The four of us need to have a talk." said Elena. Caroline was confused by this statement. Though when she had exchanged glances with Damon, she knew that it was something serious. She asked what was going on. Damon suggested that they all sit down. Caroline took her seat on the couch, as did the other three. "We know Elena's your best friend. So, this may come as a shock to you. Elena and I dated." said Damon.

"Elena wasn't going to stay single forever." It was Caroline's tone that seemed matter-of-factly. Stefan and Elena exchanged quick glances with one another. Stefan asked if the engagement had seemed rushed. "Damon said he was planning on moving back to Mystic Falls." Caroline motioned towards his brother. Elena didn't know about this. She could see the hesitation before Damon had spoken. Though Caroline interrupted by asking if he was calling the engagement off. Neither Stefan or Elena knew what to say and how to voice their input in all of this. "Caroline, let's just talk—"

"No. Damon's decided. He didn't come here to Mystic Falls for me." Caroline interjected, stopping Elena in mid-sentence.

"I did ask you to marry me." Damon said.

Caroline shook her head and took off the ring and handed it back to him. "This ring was meant for Elena, right? I mean, after all… you were still with her while we were talking."

"Elena and I broke up because of that text message. I should've told her the truth, and yet, I decided to keep it a secret."

"Ironic, isn't it? I was the sole reason you two broke up, and now, she's the reason we're ending the engagement. As much as I understand your feelings for her, Elena deserves a special guy in her life. While though Matt seems like a potential candidate, Stefan dated her too."

"I had suggested for her to date Matt." said Stefan. "Though, I believe Elena's old enough to make decisions for herself when it comes to dating and relationships." Elena had been silent for sometime, listening to the conversations going on in the room. She was just thinking back to very day before she left for NYU.

 _It was two months before Elena left Mystic Falls. Stefan had only a short amount of time to spend with her, and he didn't want to waste his summer alone. He decided to visit her. Arriving at her house, he parked the car out front and steps out of his vehicle. Stefan approached the door and softly knocked. He waited until seeing Elena's aunt, Jenna answer the door. "Stefan, it's nice to see a friendly face." she smiled._

 _"Jenna, is Elena home?" Stefan's hands were casually placed in his pockets. One reason was that he was a bit nervous. He didn't know why. Maybe because he hadn't been to her house since the break up. Jenna invited him inside the house before briefly saying that she had to go out and run a few errands. "Say hi to Damon for me." Stefan smiled and nodded, only saying to her that he will pass on her greeting to his brother. Jenna exited the house, leaving Stefan to stay idle in the foyer. Elena had just gone downstairs after hearing the front door close. She was surprised to see Stefan. She had been planning to go over and visit him instead. "Do you want anything? Water? Coffee?"_

 _"I'm good. Thanks." said Stefan._

 _Elena nodded, "I have something I need to talk with you about. I was planning to see you, but you saved me a trip."_

 _"What is it you need to tell me?"_

 _"You know I'm going to New York and will be leaving in August. So, it's nice we have an entire summer together. Though Stefan, I don't think I can handle long-distance. I mean, we will only see each other during breaks, and even that's not enough to maintain a healthy relationship. I'm sure it will be likely for you to have many relationships before finding the one. I hate that it has to be this way. It's for the best."_

Now, Elena had found herself sitting in her apartment with her best friend and two ex-boyfriends. One of them she was still clearly in love with. Elena excused herself from the room and exited the apartment. She just needed to clear her mind and take a breath of fresh air. She walked to the cemetery, which is something she hadn't done since high school. While though she knew of her birth parents, Elena still visited the gravesite of her adopted parents. She had wished to see her mom, Miranda. She knew that her mom would always know the right words to say in situations like this. She sat down in front of their graves and took out her journal, only beginning to write the thoughts out that she wanted to tell her mom. After her visit with her parents, she decided to make a visit to see Alaric. He had been the best father replacement for she and Jeremy. She couldn't have asked for anyone better. She was glad to have known him before his tragic passing. Arriving at his grave, Elena sat down.

"Alaric, I know you can hear me. I know that somewhere up there you are watching over Jeremy and I. I know that I've asked you countless of times to watch over Jeremy. The reason for my visit isn't about Jeremy, and I think you know that. It's about Damon. I have never felt so lost before. I've also never felt this way about anyone else since dating Stefan. With Damon, there's a many things he can offer me. Being with him, he just makes me feel so alive. There's never been a dull moment with him. Damon's an adventurous and spontaneous person. Yet, I let him go. I let him go to focus on myself and focus on my wants. Now that when I picture a future, it's a future with him. I see him and no one else. I didn't see it before, and now I do. I really hope that he understands that." Elena sighed. "It would be great to hear your voice again. Thank you for listening Ric. I'll see you tomorrow." Elena pressed her fingers to her lips, kissing them and pressed them to the stone.


	7. The Last Goodbye?

"When was the last time we did this?" Stefan and Elena were seated at a table in Mystic Grill. The two of them were immersed in conversation while waiting for their orders to arrive. After four years since their breakup, it seems as though nothing had changed between the two of them. Elena had always admired Stefan's personality. He has always been genuine and a first love I'd never forget. "What? Date?" asked Stefan.

Elena shook her head, smiling softly. "No, since it was just the two of us. I mean, I would come to Mystic Falls during breaks. Yet, we'd never make any plans."

"We broke up Elena."

"I'm serious Stefan. We've known each other a long time. We dated in high school, sure. Did it ever occur to you that we would ever try again? I hardly ever saw you during my visits from college. I wasn't sure whether or not you've been avoiding me."

"I saw you when you came back after your first year from college. You were catching up with Bonnie and Caroline about college. It was over the summer. Caroline had just texted to meet her at the Grill. You guys didn't see me. Though, you looked genuinely happy. I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me then." Stefan admitted. "Besides, I'm sure Caroline must've mentioned that she and I were in a few classes at Whitmore college. Though, nothing had ever happened between—"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me Stefan." Elena interrupted. "I think you're realizing that you could be in love with Caroline. You two have gotten close over the years, especially since I was away at college. You two bonded, and I don't think that this date was actually intended for the two of us. I think you should go and talk to Caroline about how you feel about her." Stefan knew Elena was right. He couldn't argue with her. He stayed until their food arrived before parting ways. Elena had suggested that she would stay a while longer. Stefan had been her ride to Mystic Grill. She remembered the summer she came back from her first year of college. It was a few days after her small reunion with her friends when arrived with her suitcase at the apartment.

 _Elena had been staying for a few days at Jenna's house, only because she wanted to spend time with her family before actually going home to her apartment. She was more than grateful for Caroline. The two of them could finally be roommates. Well, that and Caroline had an extra guest bedroom. At the apartment, Caroline and Stefan were in Caroline's bedroom when a knock sounded at the door. Stefan pulls away from the kiss with furrowed eyebrows. "Were you expecting anyone?" Caroline shook her head. She knew that Bonnie was with Jeremy and Matt was working. It couldn't be her mom popping in for a visit either. She would be the one seeing her mom for a surprise visit. Stefan said she shouldn't keep the visitor waiting. Caroline nodded and emerged from her bedroom to answer the door. Stefan had only shortly followed after hearing the main door open. "You're home!" Caroline hugged her friend. "Wait, I thought you were staying at Jenna's." She quickly receded from the hug._

 _"This place is my home now." Elena smiled. The smile quickly faded when she saw Stefan. "Why is Stefan here?"_

 _Before Caroline could answer, Stefan had reached over to grab a DVD from the shelf. "I came over to take the DVD Caroline borrowed."_

 _"Which is?" Elena raised an eyebrow._

 _"The Shining."_

 _"That's mine, and it's the one she borrowed in high school. Only recently did she give it back."_

 _"And well, since this is our apartment, Stefan can return it here to us once its finished. Thanks for coming hon—Stefan." Caroline cleared her throat. "Stefan."_

 _"See you Care—Caroline." Stefan takes the DVD and heads out the door, shutting it on the way out. Elena crossed her arms over her chest, asking Caroline if something was going on between she and Stefan. Caroline, though hesitated to answer, had stated that she and Stefan are friends. Elena wasn't sure whether to believe the statement or not. Caroline continued to insist that she wouldn't lie. Yet, Elena was still determined to find out the truth._

Once Stefan left, Elena had taken out her phone to make a call. "Damon, can you come and pick me up?" When Damon arrived, he had driven her over to the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan's car wasn't parked in the driveway. Elena assumed that he had gone over to her apartment to see Caroline. She followed Damon into the house when he offered her something to drink, specifically Bourbon. Elena had shaken her head before sitting down on the couch. Damon knew that this meant something serious and asked about what happened. Elena had told him about her dinner with Stefan and the reason why he could be at her place. "At least he was polite enough to stay for dinner. Wait, why would you go out to dinner with Stefan if you eventually told him that he should try and give Caroline a chance? After I had broken my engagement with her?" Maybe Elena needed that drink after all. She didn't exactly know where to begin or how to begin.

"I thought that maybe I'd give the two of us another chance. Then I realized that it wasn't going to work out. Why didn't you proceed on with the wedding? Why did you call it off?"

"You were there at the apartment. You knew I couldn't marry someone I barely knew or saw. It was during Winter break during your first year of college. I had arrived in Mystic Falls to see my brother. Stefan introduced me to Caroline. He was on break as well from Whitmore. Though after that initial meeting and constant text messaging, I couldn't make an effort to see her as much as I wanted because I was dating you. I had proposed to her with your image in my mind because to me, you never left New York."

"The break up was my fault."

"No, Elena. It's not your fault for deciding to go your own way. It's not your fault for deciding the best course of action at the time. The break up had to happen because I think for the two of us to grow as individuals, we had to be away from each other. Though, if we had tried to work it out, there could've been the possibility of us still being together. I fell in love with you, and I don't just mean for physical looks. While physicality counts for something, it's your personality that made me fall in love with a beautiful and strong woman." Damon smiled softly. Elena hadn't felt this reassured about her decision of possibly being with Damon. She had always pictured a future with him and no one else. "I can't stay here in Mystic Falls any longer. Even though it's my home, I've decided to leave for New York tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?"

"No."

"Elena, New York is my new home. It's always been since—"

"Take me with you."

"Your heart is here Elena, not in New York. Your family and friends are here. Matt seems to still be infatuated with you, which is something you need to work out with him. Mystic Falls has always been your home. If you come with me, you're leaving everyone behind."

"You just can't leave Damon. You used to live here. You knew my parents, my real parents. You knew Alaric long before I had gotten the chance to know him."

Damon couldn't believe how stubborn she was being, and yet, he understood. "Mystic Falls isn't going to be okay with me back in town. Many of the locals here know me too well, and the reason why I left is because they are the same people who knew my past. I've brought nothing but pain into your life Elena."

"I don't want to be with Matt or anyone else. Damon, you can't give up on me, on the possibility of us. I don't care about what you did your past or the people who can hold it against you. You have grown up into a man that I admire, that I saw a future with. I fell in love with you and am still in love with you. Though, it sounds like you've given up on me. We are supposed to fight for each other. We are supposed to work out our problems, not create problems. You moving to New York is a problem. While Mystic Falls has been a place that I grew up in and have family, as well as friends, my heart is where you are. So I don't know what you're fighting for because it seems like you are only fighting for yourself. And I hope that the two of you are very happy." Elena stood up and stormed out the Boarding house.

 _Elena was just packing up her belongings for her move to Mystic Falls. She was just on the phone with Jenna. She heard a knock at the bedroom door. "Jenna, I'll have to call you back." Damon opens the door when she hung up the phone. "What do you want Damon?" It had only been a day since the break up. She had booked her flight back for Richmond and had yet to think of who would be available to pick her up from the airport. Damon's hands were casually placed in his pockets. From the tone in her voice, he knew that he should've waited to tell her, except the consequences of waiting would result in him not seeing her again. "I know you're leaving in a week, and so, I decided to give you your graduation present now." He pulled a box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "This is for you. Just… don't open it yet. Open it as soon as you get home."_

Elena sat at her desk, staring at the computer. After an eventful few weeks since her arrival back home, she couldn't exactly focus on work. During her lunch break, she made a call. "Matt, it's Elena. Meet me in the Town Square after work." Meanwhile, Stefan had driven the long 3-hour drive out to Richmond to drop off his brother at the airport. He couldn't believe that Damon was leaving, again. Though, what was unusual was the reason for his brother's leave. "It's better for us this way." said Damon. The two of them were having a conversation about what had happened between Damon and Elena. Stefan had to agree with Elena about his brother's actions. Stefan didn't like where things were heading. He was only looking out for Elena. "Elena _needs_ you." Stefan was stopped in the parking garage of the airport. He helped his brother with the suitcases and headed inside. Damon had just checked in for his flight; and both were waiting just outside of the terminal before Damon passed security. "She's right about me Stef. I haven't been honest with her."

"You can't just leave. She already lost you once."

"It's best if she let one of us go. I don't want it to be you little brother."

 _Elena had gotten off work. It was a slow day. She had already wanted to go home. Matt had agreed to meet her in the Square after work. When she arrived, she saw him waiting on the bench. Matt smiled, seeing his friend approach him. The smile faded when he saw her eyes said something else. He knew something was bothering her as soon as she sat down. He could see that she had tired eyes, puffy from crying. "Elena, is everything okay?" As soon as the question had left his lips, Elena told him everything from start to finish. Once she was done explaining, Matt reached out with an arm and pulled her in for a hug. Elena had never been more than grateful for having a friend like Matt. "I don't know what to do. His flight is in a few hours and—"_

 _"Go to him Elena." Matt interrupted._

"Damon! Wait." Damon had turned his head, seeing Elena run up to him. He was more than surprised to see her, especially after their conversation that ended on a sour note. Elena pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled away, gazing into his eyes. "You didn't give me a proper goodbye." she whispered. Damon saw that she had been crying. He hated leaving her in the state that she was in. It was his fault. While a part of him didn't want to leave, he had to. He reached out and touched her cheek, caressing it softly. He loved this woman, the woman who stood before him with her brown orbs gazing up at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes and how much it had hurt him to leave. "Come visit me in New York when you can, alright?" Damon smiled softly. The smile wasn't all there. "I have to go. Goodbye Elena." With his carry-on bag in tow, Damon bid his brother goodbye before heading to the security line.


	8. Home's Where Damon Is

_Damon had arrived in Mystic Falls. This town was his home, as it had been for many years until leaving for college. He had known that Elena could be out with her friends or with Stefan. While though he had known of Elena's previous relationship with his brother, Damon had only kept the secret about his relationship with her from Stefan. He wasn't the kind of person to express his feelings about a woman who left him in his own apartment. The Salvatore Boarding house was his second home. The first one had been destroyed in a fire. When their father had passed away, the Boarding house was left under Damon's name, in which he had allowed Stefan to stay in while Damon was off partying during his college years. Damon had never intended to stay in Mystic Falls for his entire life, nor had he ever thought of returning to the town that didn't want him in the first place. He knew where his place was, and it wasn't Mystic Falls. He had no reason to come back here, well, other than Elena._

 _From the Boarding house, Damon drove his Chevy Camaro. He had inherited it from his father, leaving Damon to keep up with the maintenance of the car. Arriving at the Gilbert residence, he knocked on the door and waited until there was an answer. Jenna opened the door and smiled. "Damon, what a nice surprise." Damon had stated that he needed to talk with her. Jenna nodded and allowed Damon to enter the house. She offered him something to drink while he had gotten himself situated on the couch. Jenna had known about Damon from stories Alaric would tell. However, it was only a few times that she had actually met him. Though, when she was younger, she would see Damon around town before he had gone off to college. "Water, thanks." said Damon. Jenna walked into the kitchen to grab him a glass before joining him in the living room._

 _"What are you here to talk about?"_

 _"I'm here to ask about Elena."_

 _"She's out with her friends."_

 _Damon took a sip from his glass and sets it down on the coffee table. "I'm not sure if she's told you that she and I have previously dated. However, she and I aren't exactly on speaking terms. I was wondering if you keep this meeting a secret and not tell her that I stopped by."_

 _"I won't. I'm not exactly known to pry in anyone's business. Well, with the exception of busting Jeremy for pot after his parents died. Elena called the day after her graduation and told me she met someone in class on her first day of college. She had never mentioned that person's name. I could hear that she sounded upset and couldn't tell anyone about her relationship because it was wrong. The way she described them reminded me of you." said Jenna._

 _Damon sighed, "I hurt her Jenna. I'm the reason she's upset. I was talking with another girl until Elena had found out. I want to make it right. I want to fix things between she and I."_

 _"Then, that's what you'll have to do Damon."_

Elena laid wide awake in her room, only three hours ago Damon had gotten on a plane to New York. He had originally planned to leave without a goodbye. At least, she had caught him before he did. She couldn't be in this apartment thinking about Damon. She missed him. Caroline was asleep and so were her other friends. She quietly got out of bed, put on a jacket, and drove to her childhood home. It was the middle of the night when Jenna heard a knock at the door. She was surprised to see Elena standing at the entry way, tears streaming down her face. She reached out and hugged her niece. "Damon left. He left, and it's my fault." Elena cried.

"You will see him again Elena." Jenna reassured. Elena pulled away, not wanting to believe her aunt. She shook her head, ignoring that what Jenna had said might be true. "You need to believe that Elena."

"He asked Caroline to marry her. Of course, they're not together anymore. I tried to go out with Stefan and give him another chance. I suggested that he should try to date Caroline instead because they seem really good for each other. Obviously, there was the option of dating Matt, and I couldn't. Matt is a lot like my brother, and it would be too weird for the two of us to date. I don't love Stefan or Matt. I love Damon. I have always loved him, and now, he's gone."

"Elena, I know."

"What?"

"I know about you and Damon. He told me not to tell you this. He came to see me after your graduation. He's really hurting too, Elena. He had made a mistake, doing what he did to you. I had told him that he should fix things between the two of you. Though, I don't think him leaving is an indication that he's left you for good. I knew of Damon when I was younger; and especially when Ric had told me about the two of them. Ric never had any brothers and always felt like Damon was like his brother in a way. Damon is a good man, and you two really deserve each other. I was looking through the storage closet, and I found this." Jenna had only briefly left the room to grab the small box that had been left at the house by Elena. "I don't know what it is."

"It's a present from Damon. He told me not to open it until I came home from New York. I didn't want to be tempted to open the box and take a peek of what was inside." said Elena.

"Follow him to New York." Jenna handed Elena the box. "Don't make me tell you twice." Elena had decided to take her aunt's advice. The next day she was packing her bags at the apartment. Caroline, Bonnie, and Stefan were watching their friend stuff clothes into a suitcase. Caroline couldn't believe what she was seeing. "You're going to New York?"

"I have to see Damon Caroline." answered Elena.

"You don't even know what's in that box." Bonnie said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Stefan. Elena had already made her decision in her mind. She had to see Damon and confront him about how she truly felt. She couldn't just let him go again. Her heart wouldn't let her. Elena zipped up her suitcase and sighed. "Damon may not realize it yet. He and I need each other. It doesn't seem likely that he'll be coming back here to Mystic Falls. So, I have to go to him."

"Are you going to come back?" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. Elena didn't know how to answer her friend. She didn't know how long she was going to stay in New York. Though, it only seemed to her friends that she had packed light. Elena had only said that she was going to come back when Damon would decide to come home to Mystic Falls. Yet, Elena had started to feel like half her life was in this small town and the other half with Damon. All she knew was that her home was where ever Damon was, and if she had to go to New York, then that's where she would be.


	9. Inside The Box

After her flight, Elena had arrived in New York. She would've never imagined hopping on a plane for just anyone. It was always Damon. In her heart, she knew that he had been the one who filled her life with happiness again, especially after the loss of her parents. Elena grabbed a taxi to take her to Damon's apartment. Upon her arrival, a car was sitting just outside. A car that she deemed unfamiliar. It had only been a mere 24 hours since Damon's departure, and he had someone over. Elena couldn't believe this. She wasn't known to assume such things, except she couldn't help herself. She approached the door and buzzed in. She headed up to the floor where his apartment was located and knocked on the door. She waited a few brief minutes before meeting eyes with a woman. The woman who stood before her had green eyes and brown hair. "I didn't think we were expecting company." said the woman. Damon was just crossing behind the woman and stopped in his tracks, seeing Elena at his doorway.

"Well, I wasn't expecting Damon to have any guests over." Elena crossed her arms. Somehow, she felt intimidated by the woman. She silently assessed that the woman must be around Damon's age. There was something eerily familiar about her. Elena couldn't put her finger on it. "Elena, this is Isobel Flemming, your birth mother, who also happens to be a close friend of mine. She's the one who introduced me to Alaric." said Damon.

"My mother?" asked Elena. Elena was nothing more but confused now. She must've assumed wrong. "After all these years, you failed to tell me that you're still in contact with her?"

"Elena, let me explain-"

"Why did you leave Mystic Falls?" Elena interrupted. Her eyes still locked on him. Damon didn't know where to begin. He thought about this moment countless of times in his mind during his flight back to New York. It wasn't until earlier today when Isobel had decided to stop buy unexpectedly. He hadn't expected for Elena to hop on a plane and follow him. It seemed out of character. "You deserve much better than me Elena." Damon could tell that what he had said wasn't the answer she was looking for. He could see that she was hurt and even more mad at him. "I just think that... I thought that you would be happier there being with your family and friends. It would've been too much for me to ask you to move back to New York with me, and when you found out that I had asked Caroline to marry me, I thought that you wouldn't forgive me. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, especially when Alaric passed away. I saw you before I even had the chance to get to know you. At the time, I talked with Isobel. She was the one who told me to keep my distance from you, only because she knew the kind of person I was.

"She knew me in college, and I was a different person back then. I was reckless. I allowed myself to mess around with other girls, who meant nothing to me until I met you. I screwed up when I met Caroline, when I started talking to her behind your back. I shouldn't have done that. I spoke with Jenna about us, about how I messed up. I told her I wanted to fix things with you and I, except I didn't. I just flew here, and I'm telling you that you don't need me to be a part of your life." Elena listened to what he had to say. She didn't fly all this way to see him, just to hear him tell her that she deserved better. She reached into her purse and took out the small box before handing it to him. Damon knew what was inside. He remembered the very day he had gotten it.

 _"Tell me why I have to go with you?" Stefan had flown to New York to see Damon. The two were driving down the street to the nearest jewelry store. The two brothers haven't seen or bonded with each other since Damon's last visit to Mystic Falls. Besides, it was good to be able to spend some time with his little brother. "You'll see." Damon smiled. Damon parked his car in front the jewelry store. The two get out of the car and enter the store. A woman approached them and asked if they needed some help. "I have a sample picture of a ring that I want to give as a gift." He had taken the picture out of his pocket and handed it to the woman. She looked at the picture and told him to wait just a few minutes. Stefan had only seen a glimpse of the picture before asking his brother about it._

 _"That's an engagement ring." said Stefan. "Who is it for?"_

 _"Just someone I like." Damon didn't want to say the name. He knew about his brother's former relationship with Elena. He knew how Stefan felt about her, considering that their relationship had ended just recently. While though Damon had only met Elena this past semester, he immediately pictured a future with her._

"Did you-"

"No, I didn't. Jenna gave it to me before I flew here." said Elena. "I should go."

"Before you go, stay for dinner at least. Also, wouldn't you want to get to know your birth mother? I know you probably have some questions about your parents... your biological parents." Damon slid the box into his pant pocket. Elena couldn't deny Damon's statement about wanting to get to know her parents. She did have many questions to ask, especially why her birth parents had given her up for adoption. Elena agreed to stay, which allowed for her and Isobel to spend some time bonding. Later that evening, Isobel had bid her goodbye, leaving Elena alone with Damon in the apartment. Damon had set the dinner table, decorations and all. "I know earlier I said you don't need me in your life. It's just because I know you've been through a lot. You've always made decisions independently, regardless of what everyone tries to tell you. I know you may not listen to me because knowing you, you will tell me otherwise. You will tell me how you feel. You will tell me that your life is meaningless without me. I'm going to tell you that you could be right. Now that we're in the same room, all I keep thinking about is how empty my life is without you. As soon as I left Mystic Falls and landed here in New York, I started to realize that before meeting you, I didn't have much of a life. I ran around doing what I did in college. When I saw you enter my classroom on the first day, I saw a remarkable resemblance to Isobel. You're much more different than her of course.

"I don't regret meeting you. However, I do regret losing you. I spent so much time trying to push you away, to make you see how wrong I am for you and how you are meant to be with someone else. I wasn't deserving of your love, deserving of everything that you have to offer. I will stand here and tell you how wrong I am for you. But I will also stand and tell you how many times I am sorry for leaving you. I am sorry for hurting you the way I did. I'm sorry for not telling you the truth about Caroline and I. I am sorry for not being the best man I can be. I will keep on trying every day to make up for everything that I have done. I will show you in every possible way that I can be the man you want me to be, to not be a selfish and heartless person. I love you Elena Gilbert, and I have always loved you since the very first moment I knew I was in love with you. You have always been the very person that I want to spend my life with. No one else can compare to you, and I'm hoping that you'll forgive me. I'm hoping that you'll allow me into your life again because leaving you was the worst mistake I have ever made." Damon took her hands in his. "Before you say anything, there is something I have to ask."

 _"How is New York treating you?" Elena was in her dorm room Skyping with her aunt, Jenna. From time to time, she would also talk with her friends. She wasn't comfortable with telling them about Damon just yet. The two had only talked a handful of times. Mostly it was either between classes or passing. She wasn't sure if Caroline or Bonnie would inform Stefan about her seeing someone else. As much as she trusted her friends, she didn't trust them with this new information about a guy. "It's been good. I'm missing home." replied Elena. Jenna reassured her that everything will work out just fine and told her not to worry. Elena wanted to believe her aunt. Just before Elena opened her mouth to say another word, a knock sounded at the door. She knew that it couldn't have been her roommate. She told Jenna that she will talk with her later and ended the Skype call to answer the door. Once she opened the door, Elena was startled to find herself face to face with Damon. She was about to question him when he had started to speak. "Look, I don't have much time. Are you available this Saturday?" asked he. Elena said she was. Damon flashed his million dollar smile before saying that he'll stop by to pick her up around 6:30 that Saturday for dinner. Before Elena could say anything else, Damon had already turned to walk back down the hallway._

Just like that day, Elena had only nodded in reply to his answer and stayed silent. She waited patiently for him to ask his question. Today had been such an eventful day. Elena had gone over what had happened since the moment she stepped off the plane. As soon as she had arrived at his apartment, everything happened in a blur. Elena still couldn't believe that she had met her birth mother, Isobel. She went over the conversations the two of them shared and how many more questions she wanted to ask Isobel. Elena had wanted to know more about Isobel herself and about her father, John. Then she went over what Damon had been telling her, that he wasn't the right man for her. Who was he to think that she deserved better? Did she? Elena couldn't answer that. She went over the many possibilities about what her life would've been like if she ended up with Stefan, or Matt even. Though in both situations, she found it ludicrous. She couldn't try to imagine her life with either of them. She couldn't see herself raising a family with either of them, living in a house, or even growing old. As much as she had loved them for who they are, both of them were a part of her life that she had decided to leave behind in Mystic Falls.

From the very day she met Damon and had gotten to know him over the last four years, Elena had truly fallen in love with him. She imagined spending the rest of her life with him, regardless of their age difference. She looked into his eyes and knew right then in there her future with him. She imagined that they would live together, probably somewhere in the suburbs in New York. She pictured herself with a white fence, green grass, and two children just running around in the yard. She would be sitting on the porch swing with Damon. He would be sipping an ice cold beer with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Her head would be comfortably rested in the perfect spot, the nook of his neck. Elena could picture it all with him, as her heart had chosen. "Will you-"

"Yes." Elena interrupted.

Damon chuckled, "I didn't even finish my question."

"I don't care. No matter what the question, I'll always say yes." Elena gazed up at him with her brown eyes.

"Well, I guess that means..." Damon pulled out the box Elena had handed to him. "You're saying yes to this?" Inside the small box that Jenna had kept from Elena was a beautifully crafted diamond ring. Elena hadn't been expecting the ring at all, even though she had always been curious about what was inside the box. She was only told not to open it. Even when she got home, she had immediately handed it off to Jenna because she did not want to be tempted. "Damon, it's-"

"This is my mother's ring. When she passed away, my father kept it. It was intended to be given to Stef, but unfortunately, I'm the oldest. I tried to look in jewelry stores to find a ring that would be perfect for you. It wasn't until I was cleaning out my dad's things and found the ring stowed away in my mother's jewelry box."

Elena kissed his lips. "Don't you dare buy another ring. I would be honored to wear your mother's ring."

"If she were still alive, she'd love you Elena Gilbert." Damon smiled, sliding the ring onto her finger.


	10. The Ring Tells All

The morning after had gone by in a blur. Elena found herself waking up to an empty space beside her own. She looked around, seeing that she was in Damon's room. The last time she had ever been in his apartment was when they had broken up the day she was graduating. Many things have happened since she was last here. She laid awake in bed, letting out a sigh. She had finally found the man of her dreams, the man she had been longing for her entire life. She sat up and glanced down at the engagement ring on her finger. She couldn't imagine that this was real, being here in New York with Damon. She thought that she dreamt it all. She got out of bed and put on one of Damon's buttoned up t-shirts. She exited the bedroom and headed towards the main room. Damon was in the kitchen making breakfast. "Good you're finally up." smiled Damon. He quickly poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. Elena quietly thanked him before taking a sip. "Isobel called. She asked if you were available to meet with her for lunch."

"What did you say?"

"I told her that you'd call her back. It's best that you tell her yourself rather than have me answer for you." Damon sipped from his own cup. He finished cooking breakfast and served Elena her share. Elena sat down at the counter and began to eat. She had been contemplating whether or not she should share the news with her friends about the engagement. She figured that she would wait until she flew back to Mystic Falls to tell them. She had only been planning to stay a few days in the city. "Did she mention anything about John?" asked Elena.

"She didn't say. We had a brief ten minute conversation. She didn't give me much information. She did leave me her number." Damon handed her a sticky note with a number and Isobel's name printed across it. Elena felt that she would call after she finished her breakfast. "How long are you staying?"

"A few days. I didn't pack much."

"What are you going to tell them once you get back?"

Elena shrugged, "I know I have to tell them at some point. Right now, I think I'm just going to wait until I'm ready to. Besides, there's many things to consider Damon."

"Consider?"

"Most of my family lives in Mystic Falls, and my friends are there too. I-"

"I thought you wanted to move to New York." Damon interrupted. Elena noticed the change of tone in his voice. She did think about moving to New York. Now engaged, her perspective had changed altogether. She thought about her immediate family, Jenna and Jeremy. She figured that Jeremy would move out and live somewhere in an apartment with Bonnie. She was unsure about Jenna's plans. She would think that Stefan and Caroline can share the apartment together if she moves out. Mystic Falls had always been her home. Maybe it was time for a change. Maybe it was time for her to relocate and find a new home, like here in New York with Damon. "I do want to move here." said Elena.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"Why do you want to stay here?" Damon was taken by surprise. He hadn't taken the time to think about it at all. He had always thought that New York was his escape, to get away from the small town life, to get away from his father that never cared about him. His mother died when he was young. Before her death, he would witness the abusive relationship his parents would have. It was back in the old house, just moments before the fire. Damon remembered the harsh words his father would say to his mother. He tried to fight back, tried to fight for his mom. His mother promised that they would run away to New York and live together, just the three of them. They would take a car and drive North until they reached their destination. "My mother wanted Stefan and I to grow up here. She was planning to leave my father, except she didn't make it when the fire erupted. She sacrificed herself to save us. She didn't save us from him. Stef and I didn't have a choice on who to stay with." Damon looked down, only to recall the screaming. "When I came here for college, I felt liberated. I didn't have to listen to my father's rules anymore, telling me what to do. I was reckless and stupid. I did a lot of things that I regretted. After graduating, I had to... I needed to change. I needed to become the man that my father wasn't. I needed to become the man that my mother would be proud of, if she were still alive.

"My father's dying wish? It was for me not to attend the funeral. Stefan attended the funeral, and I just watched from far away. I was supposed to read the eulogy. I was supposed to speak and say somethings about the man who did nothing but abuse his wife. I was supposed to pretend that there was no bad blood between us. I hardly ever visited him. I spent most of my life avoiding the man until the day I was told he was in the hospital. That's when I saw him last. I remember him telling me that I was a constant reminder of his late wife. Stefan wasn't there. I think he was still in school. I visit my father's grave every chance I get and visit my mother's as well. I had only wish that my father's life was taken and not hers. I wish that there was more that I could have done, to save her from being burned alive." Elena stood up and wrapped her arms around him. She smoothed down his hair, only to feel his arms wrap tightly around her. "I just... I'm afraid that I was going to lose you the way I did her."

"You're never going to lose me Damon. I will always be right here." whispered Elena.

 **One Week Later**

"Wait, you met your birth parents?" Caroline asked. Elena and her friends were in Mystic Grill. It had been exactly one week since her engagement to Damon, as well as meeting Isobel and John. It wasn't easy for her to keep the engagement a secret, considering the very sight of the ring would attract anyone out on the street. "How did it go?" Bonnie questioned.

 _Elena had agreed to meet with Isobel for lunch. She wasn't looking forward to it; but she would eventually have to get to know her birth mother at some point. She had to borrow Damon's car when it was time to head out. "Tell met how it goes, okay?" Damon caressed her cheek softly before she headed out. Elena nodded and kissed Damon's lips goodbye. She exited the apartment and headed out to Damon's car. She drove to the approved meeting place that Isobel had suggested. She wasn't sure what to expect when she had arrived. It was a restaurant, most likely local. Elena parked the car and entered the restaurant. Isobel waved Elena over. As Elena approached the table, she saw a man sitting with Isobel. The man's features were familiar to her-John. "Glad you could join us Elena." smiled Isobel. Elena sat down in the seat across from the two of them. A waiter approached her to ask what she would like to drink. Elena only replied with 'water.'_

 _"I wasn't expecting company." said Elena._

 _"I told John that it was important for him to be here. We wanted to be able to talk to you alone. I know you have some questions, especially about why we had given you up for adoption." Elena sat in silence while Isobel was talking. "I'm sure you might feel a bit indifferent towards us, considering only finding out yesterday that we are your birth parents."_

 _"Please, if you have any questions, ask away." added John._

"I met my birth parents while I was in New York-Isobel Flemming and John Gilbert." answered Elena. "It's weird that growing up I would refer to my... father as Uncle John. Now as an adult, I find out he's my father; and Isobel was Alaric's former wife. I'm still wondering why Alaric hadn't brought it up, or Damon for that matter."

"Damon knows Isobel?" Elena had guessed that Caroline would be the most shocked by this. She only nodded in response to her question. "Anything else happen while you were away?" Should Elena tell them the news now? She feared for what they might say or react even, especially Caroline. Before she could open her mouth, Matt and Tyler had arrived. Elena had almost thought that Stefan would've joined them. Matt apologized for the two of them being late and joined the girls at the table. "Back from New York, huh? You got any stories to share?" asked Tyler.

"Elena met her birth parents." said Bonnie.

"You did?" asked Matt.

Elena nodded, "They were closer to me than I thought. Isobel was formerly Alaric's wife, as well as being Damon's friend. As for John, he used to be called my uncle. I had just arrived at his apartment and that's where I met Isobel for the first time."

"How did you feel about meeting her?" asked Caroline.

"I didn't know what to think to be honest." Elena's phone rang before she could say anything else. She said that she had something to do and grabbed her bag before her any of her friends chimed in. As she was walking out, she ran into Stefan. Unfortunately, this incident had made her drop her bag and its contents spilled out. Stefan bent down, only to pick up the only thing that caught his eye - his mother's engagement ring. "Damon... proposed to you?"


	11. The Reveal

"Your brother knows." Elena was on the phone with Damon at her apartment. She was pacing back and forth. She had called him just minutes after she arrived from Mystic Grill. This shouldn't have come as a shock to her. Of course Stefan would eventually find out, let alone know about Damon's proposal. "You can't keep the engagement a secret from your friends forever. Besides, Stefan was with me when I was shopping for engagement rings. He didn't know I would end up give you our mother's ring. What exactly happened?" asked Damon.

 _"Damon... proposed to you?" Elena was uncertain of how Stefan would react and stayed silent. Stefan hand the ring to her once she put away her items back into her bag. She slid the ring onto her finger. She only nodded in response to his question, not knowing what else to say. "When did you come back from New York?"_

 _"The other day." replied Elena. "I asked Jenna to pick me up from the airport. I know that we have a lot to talk about."_

 _"There's nothing to say. Congratulations on the engagement." Stefan smiled softly before heading into the Grill. Elena thanked him and watched him enter the building. She could tell by the sound of his voice that something was bothering him._

Elena explained to Damon about her quick run-in with his brother. She didn't like how calm he was sounding. She wished that he was in Mystic Falls. She really needed a hug from him. She heard the door to the apartment open. She turned to see Bonnie and Caroline. She was relieved that Stefan wasn't with them. "The girls are here. I'll talk to you later Damon." Elena hung up the phone.

"You rushed out of the Grill pretty quickly. Stefan said you ran into him." Caroline's arms crossed against her chest. Elena exchanged glances with her friends. Bonnie had chosen to stay silent. "Well, that ring on your finger speaks for itself." Elena knew that Damon was right. The news of the engagement would have to come out sooner or later.

"You're engaged?" Bonnie had finally managed to say something. "When?"

"I'm guessing Damon asked her when she flew out to New York." said Caroline.

"I said yes before he even finished his question. Even if he wasn't going to ask me to marry him, I would have said yes to just about anything." Elena looked down. Her friends knew something was wrong. Bonnie was the first to show concern. "Damon wants to stay in New York."

"You don't want to live in New York?" asked Bonnie. Elena had previously thought about living in New York to the extent of wondering whether or not her dreams were going to come true. As much as Mystic Falls had always been her home, she had somehow found herself in New York. She thought about imagining herself having a home in Mystic Falls where she would be closer to her family. Instead, she had imagined a house in New York. "I do, but my friends and family are here." answered Elena. "If I move out to New York, then there will be many opportunities out there for me, as well as maybe starting a family someday. Staying here, we'd all be close and-"

"We're not going to hate you or be mad at you for moving away Elena. We know Mystic Falls is your childhood home. It always will be. As your friend, we will always support you in whatever decision you decide. Damon is your family now too, or will be when you two get married." Caroline interrupted. Elena nodded, relieved that her friends were understanding. She reached out to hug them both.

"What are we standing here for? We should go out to celebrate!" Bonnie exclaimed. Caroline and Elena agreed. The girls had headed out and went back to Mystic Grill to celebrate. After the celebration, they headed back to the apartment to talk about Elena's wedding in detail. It had come down to Caroline being the wedding planner, as well as being chosen as the Maid of Honor with Bonnie as the bridesmaid. Elena couldn't pick anyone better than Caroline to plan out her dream wedding. She reminded Caroline that they had plenty of time to plan out the wedding and was in no rush to marry Damon any time soon.

A few days later, Stefan had picked up his brother from the airport in Richmond. They were heading to Mystic Falls. The car ride was silent until Stefan had brought up seeing Elena at Mystic Grill days earlier. Stefan was just approaching the boarding house and helped Damon retrieve his bags from the trunk. "And?" Damon turned his attention towards his brother. He knew something was going on. They walked towards the entrance and entered in the foyer where Stefan had placed the bags on the floor. Stefan was hesitant to even speak about his run-in with Elena at Mystic Grill. He hadn't spoken with her since she had left for New York a little over a week ago. "You gave her our mother's ring." said Stefan.

Stefan remembered very little about his mother. He only knew stories about her from Damon or their father before he passed away. He knew that Damon was close to their mother when they were growing up as children. "It was left to me. You know that." Damon had poured himself a glass of bourbon before taking a drink. He didn't think his brother would be bothered by the engagement at all.

"I'm not mad about that. I'm actually happy for you two. Congratulations Damon. Elena's a lucky girl." smiled Stefan.

"I'm the lucky one brother." Damon chuckled. "Let's go out and celebrate. I know we haven't spent any time together. I don't have anyone else to drink with." Damon grinned. Stefan had agreed to go out with his brother. The next day, Elena had spent her time at work daydreaming about Damon and the wedding. She knew that Caroline had everything under control when it came to the wedding planning. She just wanted to be able to have Damon around during the planning stages. Just before she had gotten off from work, a co-worker informed her that someone was waiting for her in the lobby. Elena had a confused look on her face. Once she clocked out for the night, Elena grabbed her belongings and headed down to the lobby where she was met with Damon. He was waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Elena ran up and wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on his lips. She pulled away only to hear him chuckle. "I take it that you're surprised to see me." Damon grinned.

"You have no idea. Did you just arrive in Mystic Falls?" The two were headed towards the entrance. Elena hadn't take her car to work since she had left it to Caroline to borrow it for the day.

"A few days ago. I wanted to surprise you. Also, I figured I should give you some time to tell your friends about your engagement news." They approached his Camaro and got in. They drove back to the Salvatore boarding house. Elena was about to ask about Stefan until Damon had interrupted by saying that he was out with Caroline. Elena wasn't sure if Stefan had been avoiding her since he had discovered the engagement ring. She was afraid that their relationship as friends would change. "Don't worry about Stefan. He's happy about the news." Damon reached over with his right hand and placed it on top of hers to reassure her that everything will be alright. Elena nodded and smiled softly, still concerned about Stefan.


	12. Old Feelings Returned?

Elena could do nothing but worry about Stefan. She knew that he was spending a lot of time with Caroline, except they haven't seen each other since the day he found out about the news. The next morning, the girls were out wedding dress shopping. Elena had lost count of how many dresses she had tried on that Caroline picked out. "We've spent two hours picking out dresses that I don't like." said Elena. The girls were outside at a local coffee shop, sitting outside and having their daily dose of caffeine. It was then her phone rang. She saw Stefan's name appear on the screen. She hesitated a moment before answering. "Stefan?" After having been friends since their break up in high school, it almost felt like this was the longest time the two had spent without talking to each other.

"Are you still in Richmond?" asked he. Elena exchanged glances with her friends and answered Stefan's question that they still were looking for dresses. "Well, I talked with your aunt Jenna, who told me that there is one dress that you can wear that you might like." Elena was a bit confused and agreed to see Stefan at Jenna's place. She hung up her phone and the three friends drove out of Richmond back to Mystic Falls. As soon as Caroline had dropped Bonnie off at her place, she and Elena had driven back to their apartment. "Why did Stefan call?" asked Caroline. Elena could tell that her friend was upset that Stefan didn't ask about her. She said that she had to drive over to her aunt Jenna's place. When Elena had arrived at aunt Jenna's place, she saw Stefan's car parked out in front of the house. She figured he must've arrived before her when she didn't see him in the driver's seat.

Elena entered the house, calling out to her aunt that she was at the house. "We're in here!" She heard Jenna's voice call out from the kitchen. It was an immediate surprise to see, not only Isobel, John. Her brother, Jeremy was seated in the kitchen as well. Elena said she wasn't exactly expecting the company, other than Stefan. "We heard about the engagement and wanted to congratulate you in person." said Isobel. Elena didn't know how to react but politely say thank you. She heard the front door open and close behind her. She turned her head to see Damon had entered the house. She was wondering why everyone was here. In her mind, she still wished that Alaric and her adoptive parents were alive to see her get married. She knew that they would be happy for her. "I think it's about time we have a family get together. It's not going to be every day that we have a gathering like this." said Damon.

Elena knew that he was right. Their families were only united through the two of them. "Elena, there's something I want to show you. Come with me." smiled Jenna. The two of them had left the room, leaving everyone else in the dining area to talk. Upstairs, Elena was sitting on Jenna's bed. She didn't know what her aunt was looking for. "Here it is!" Jenna pulled out a box and handed it over to Elena. "Your mother would've wanted you to have this." Elena opened up the box. Inside was a beautiful white dress with some lace. It was her mother's wedding dress that she had recognized from the pictures in their living room. She thanked Jenna by giving her a hug.

"I thought you would—"

"It'd be wasted on me. Besides, Stefan had asked me if I still had your mother's wedding dress." Jenna interrupted. Stefan? Elena glanced down at the dress again. She smiled softly and put it back into the box. She took the box and decided to place it in her room before heading back downstairs with Jenna. During dinner, Elena had asked if she could talk with Stefan alone. The two of them had gone upstairs to her room. Elena closed the door behind him. "How did you know about my mother's wedding dress?" asked she.

"Well, I saw the picture in the living room. I knew that you were in Richmond with Caroline and Bonnie. Actually, I was coming over to talk with your aunt about a different question until the wedding dress topic was brought up. She said she received a text from you about how you had tried on every dress but didn't feel like you could be yourself in them." said Stefan. "However, this dinner idea is all Damon."

"You've finally met my birth parents." Elena sighed and sat on her bed. Stefan sat down beside her and placed his hand on top of hers. This was a way to show reassurance. Elena smiled over at him, gazing into his green colored eyes. As much as she loved Damon, there was still a part of herself that still cared about Stefan. "I'm happy Care has you." she smiled. Stefan nodded before pulling his hand away and suggested that they go downstairs before anyone starts to question how long they've been upstairs. They retreated downstairs to finish their dinner. Elena had gotten the box from her room and carried it out to her car. She bid her family goodbye, leaving the house with the Salvatore brothers. "What's in the box?" asked Damon.

"You'll see it at the wedding." Elena smiled as she was placing the box in the passenger seat of her car. Damon asked her if she was going to the apartment or was following him to the Salvatore boarding house. "I'm actually going to hang out with Matt for a bit." Both brothers were surprised to hear this. Elena then got in her car and began the drive to Matt's house. If there was anyone she could open up to, it had to be none other than Matt Donovan himself.


End file.
